


Relentless

by WeirdWorldOrder



Series: Ciphers [4]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: AU mash-up, Blood, Blood and Gore, Demonic Possession, Human Bill Cipher, Insane Bill Cipher, M/M, Minor Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines, POV First Person, Reverse Bill Cipher, Reverse Pines, Swearing, Torture, Triangle Bill Cipher, Violence, World Travel, hinted Will Cipher/Stanford
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 21:43:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5944114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdWorldOrder/pseuds/WeirdWorldOrder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If this wasn’t my world I was going to scream.  If this was another hostile plane of existence it was going to be a curse.  A sword struck the ground right beside my head.<br/>“Shit!”</p><p>He doubted each jump got him any closer to his world, but he had to try.  He certainly could not stay in the hostile environment many of them proved to be.  He would not be a victim to the numerous interpretations of a demon he once knew.  Perhaps he should have given up long ago.  Perhaps he should have left well enough alone in his original world.  He did not ask to be stuck traveling from one world to the next, meeting one deranged Cipher after another.  This was all Stanley's fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Relentless

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know what to say about this one.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think.

I was floating in a void. Well, not exactly a void; there was white all around me, not the perceived darkness a void should contain. I floated aimlessly with no concept of up or down, left or right. Gravity was not something that existed in the space between worlds. That is where I assumed I had ended up. Where else could I be, after all? I was still struggling to make sense of what had occurred what felt like only moments ago. Perhaps it had been, perhaps it had been years. I had nothing to determine the concept of time in such a place. I did not even have my documented research.

This was all Stanley’s fault, the imbecile. I sighed, thinking maybe I should have foreseen this outcome. Could I really hate my twin for everything between us? I had tried so hard to convince him of my path, but not really. If I wanted to bring him to my side I should have stood by him all those years ago. Perhaps Stanley was right to resent me, and our parents. I had done nothing; I had allowed all contact between us to be severed. We were supposed to be brothers, together to the end. Perhaps we were both to blame in the end. He certainly did not have to send me through the portal though. A simple punch to the face would have sufficed, but no, the meathead had to go that extra mile.

I had attempted calling out to William, but he did not respond whether I was heard or not, useless demon. No, he was useful, but possessed no backbone. Perhaps I did not either. Floating in nothingness sure gives one time to reflect on poor life choices and missed opportunities. I managed to lie back in the empty space with my head resting on my arms. How did I get out of this one?

The second I pondered that the scenery changed around me. There was sky around me, but no ground. I flailed as I fell. I met water, thankfully. Those swimming classes paid off after all in the end. I kept myself afloat and looked around before finding the closest shore. It was the Gravity Falls beach, I think. The reason I was unsure was because it looked positively ruined. The sandy area was littered with wreckage, not even the dock was intact. The renter center’s roof had caved in, and one whole wall was missing. The trees I could see beyond the typical family destination looked less inviting than I could ever recall them. If this was Gravity Falls, it had gone to Hell!

I was cautious as I trekked up to the remains of the building. The place looked like it had been ransacked some time ago. There was nothing of value left, aside from a lone oar. I picked it up and broke it to use as a makeshift spear. I knew basic combat, not that it had helped recently, but a weapon certainly helped. I moved on into the forest, remaining close to the tree line. Everything was eerily quiet.

The first sound to reach my ears that was not my breathing was that of sobs, and it was not until I found what remained of the town itself. Buildings were crumbling, windows smashed in, and fires had even broken out. Everything was a mess, except for the lone intact building in the distance that towered over everything else. It was a black pyramid that seemed to have risen from the very earth around it. No doubt it would be a terrible idea to get closer to it. I decided to duck into the building I had heard the sobbing come from.

There was a young girl inside, barely a teenager. She had long, thick, brown hair and a tattered sweater covered in blood. There was wreckage in front of her. I cringed when I noticed the arm sticking out wrapped in what once had been a nice black suit and a bandage around the hand. I cautiously walked closer. The girl flinched at my approach and looked up before grabbing some weapon. Was that a grappling hook? Her tearful eyes watched me with clear defiance; she had no plans of dying as well.

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to give me information,” I proposition as I set my makeshift spear aside. She seemed to calm at my act of nonviolence. Her arms lowered, placing the grappling hook on the ground in front of her bent legs she sat on. Those watery brown eyes followed the motion in her clear despair.

“He did this,” the girl said softly, sorrow clear in her voice, not that her posture was hiding anything. “That monster took everything. Everyone is dead.”

I cautiously moved closer to the girl. I don’t know why I wanted to comfort her so much, but there was no one else around to do it. Perhaps I could get information from her when she had calmed down. She broke down the second my hand brushed her shoulder. My black sweater soaked up her tears, and the blood. I tried to comfort her only to notice the large tear in her once vibrant sweater. I realized in that moment that most of the blood covering her was her own. It was too late to staunch the flow, so I just held her to ease the pain of crossing over. I would have to find some other means of gaining knowledge of where I ended up. This was not a place I wanted to remain in.

The sound of William’s teleportation caught my attention a few moments after the unnamed girl faded away. I turned to curse the demon, only to find a young man looking at me. He had blond hair that was swept back into a short ponytail. His right eye had deep scar tissue over it, marring the slightly tanned face. A pair of dark green goggles hung around his neck. His attire consisted of a white lab coat, dark shirt, and black pants that matched his shoes. I focused on the remaining amber colored eye.

“I guess Dipper had a point about not jumping into a world unprepared,” the man’s slightly high pitched voice almost reminded me of William, but it lacked the echo.

“We should both take his advice then,” I said. If this man was also out of his own universe then perhaps he would be willing to at least get me out of this apocalyptic one. “My name is Stanford.”

“Ford?” He blinked in recognition. I figured he must have known my alternate self, yet I was unsure of his. “Don’t know what world you’re from, but the years were certainly kind to you.”

The blond walked forward and offered me his hand. I took it to help me up, making sure to pick up the grappling hook while I could. The young man was a little on the short side, but he carried himself well. I watched as he pushed up the sleeve of his lab coat to reveal a strange watch. He made sure my hand was on his shoulder before tampering with the device. The white light returned, but for a briefer moment. My feet were on solid ground this time.

“Bill, what the hell was that?” A new voice caught my attention. The man sounded more worried than angry. “Who is this?”

The man I turned to was a brunet with mocha eyes. His attire was similar to this Bill character’s, but with dark blue pants and an orange shirt. I looked back at the blond that had brought me when I realized he must be William’s counterpart. Both of them were looking at me.

“This is Ford,” Bill informed his colleague. “Well, a Ford. He’s a fellow world hopper!”

“I am so sorry for him,” the brunet said to me. His exasperation with the other seemed more fond than actually irritated. He offered me a friendly smile. “I’m Dipper Pines. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Stanford,” I supplied with a nod of acknowledgement. “Your friend says you have managed to travel to other worlds?”

The brunet did not answer me immediately, instead offering a chair for me to sit in. Bill wandered off while Dipper moved a chair of his own closer. I took in the room around us. It looked like an official government lab. The blue walls were a much appreciated relief from the stereotypical white. The young man offered me a mug. It turned out to hold hot chocolate. Dipper took a sip from his drink before taking a more professional posture.

“My great uncle studied the possibility of alternate universes,” Dipper stated. He seemed to take a moment. “He is, was your counterpart in this world. He passed a year ago, following his twin.”

“My condolences,” I replied almost automatically. I set my mug down on the counter beside us. The thought occurred to me that such a fate could befall Stanley and me. Could have, at least, but thanks to William it would be pushed back. “It is honorable that you would continue his work.”

“I guess,” Dipper spoke softly. He shrugged at the thought, but remained melancholy. “They shouldn’t have, they went to a world they would have been better off steering clear of. I’m sorry; I should not be burdening you with this.”

“It is fine, Dipper,” I soothed with a smile. I did want him to talk about what they had discovered in their travels. Granted I could do without the somber subject. “I understand that they meant a lot to you. I admit that I have not met you yet, but I certainly look forward to it when I return.”

“That explains why you look so young,” Dipper said with a small smile. “Aside from the graying hairs at least. I am sorry to admit that we do not exactly have control of where we end up.”

I watched him carefully as I took in that information. Surely it was dangerous to jump from world to world at random. Dipper informed me that they had a return function in the bulky watches that served as their means of transportation. It meant that the last world one visited would always be accessible, but it also meant they were forced to return after each trip lest they risk never coming back. Dipper was smart about it, but it seemed like he had to rein Bill in more often than not.

I spent some time with the duo discussing dimensional travel and swapping tales. I changed a few details in my stories, but they were none the wiser. This Bill was very different from the Cipher I knew. He was boisterous and a prankster, and very handsy with Dipper. They seemed to complement each other, balancing the other out. Dipper talked a lot about his twin sister, Mabel. I recalled the little girl in those moments. Could she have been my great-niece from another world? It certainly was not my problem now, but in a way she had been family.

The pair eventually shared their research with me. It was fascinating to see the similarities to my own calculations, but there were some differences. They had real experience with traveling to other worlds, though, so in theory this data should be superior. It was all I had to go on anyway. What’s more is that they had no way to track where the watches took them, so it really was flying blind. Both of them had watches, and there were others, but only one should ever use them at a time. Unless a person had physical contact with the traveler they would be separated. This normally meant that one party traveled while the other remained in whichever world they were left in.

Their first experience had been going back and forth between their world and another. Bill had been the one to change that, and that’s how he found me. It was certainly a relief. I did my best to forget about the world I had wound up in prior to theirs. I was more focused on gaining their trust anyway, and that seemed all too easy. When they did let me have a watch of my own I continued to share in their knowledge and enthusiasm. It was not all faked, but I preferred the thought of returning to my world quickly.

If I had been patient perhaps we could have found a more reliable means of travelling to specific worlds together. Be that as it may, I did not wait around for such breakthroughs. I managed to sneak away with my watch and waited for nightfall when they went to sleep. I activated the device and welcomed the whiteout. My feet thankfully stayed on solid ground. When I took in my surroundings I was on a plateau overlooking Gravity Falls in the middle of the night. Not the best time to be out, admittedly.

The sounds of crickets and owls kept me calm while I navigated my way through the woods toward the town. If anything dangerous came about, then everything else should fall silent. It was instinct after all. I still had the grappling hook, and had managed to procure an advanced plasma gun. They would certainly do for when I needed to defend myself, not that I planned to hang around when that time came. If this was not my world I would just move on, it sounded simple enough. Of course something seeming easy on paper and reality are two different things.

I managed to find the town and enter it without incident, surprisingly enough. When I started walking through the town is when I became unsettled. There were no cars driving by, no people out late at night. It was late, but surely something should be happening if only something like a gnome scurrying about. I kept moving, hoping to reach my home without anything jumping out at me. It was too much to hope for, obviously. I realized something was following me, but kept walking without noticeably picking up my pace. The key was making them think they still had the element of surprise.

The rather odd growl almost gave me pause, almost. It was somewhere between human and beast, and it sounded ravenous. My hand settled on the plasma gun for security. I took it off my belt and turned to my pursuer. The creature before me was monstrous. It had patches of gray fur over its body, and areas of the skin had been torn away to reveal muscle, bone, and organs in some places. This was a wendigo. My eyes widened at the realization and met the bloodthirsty red gaze of the horror.

I fired and ran. The cry of pain told me that my shot hit, but it was not a fatal blow. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, into the woods. Not one of my best ideas in hindsight. The wendigo was chasing me. I refused to look behind me, knowing it would just slow me down. I leapt over a log, ducked under a branch, swerved around a tree. I attempted to zigzag, but nothing was helping me lose the beast.

The ground gave way into a small slope. I tumbled, unable to stop, unwilling to let the wendigo get closer. I felt the air rush behind me from the creature attempting to swipe at me. It missed, but I was nowhere near being out of the woods yet. I tried to find cover in the brush. I clutched the gun as my lifeline while catching my breath. I watched the creature sniff around to locate me as I sat there.

I felt something touch my shoulder and turned my eyes to the left. The barrel of a gun rested beside my head. I stiffened, but refused to move. Whoever was behind it was not aiming at me, and I was not about to start the chase over again. The sun was starting to rise in the distance. It must have been the signal for the wendigo to go back into hiding. The beast growled, but moved on. I sighed in relief once it had been out of sight for a few moments.

“Not many humans around here these days,” a voice said behind me. The voice reminded me of Bill, but it was just slightly deeper.

Once the gun was removed from my shoulder I turned to the man who had in a sense saved me. He had at least been prepared to shoot the thing if it attacked. The dark skinned man before me had short blond hair that had no real order to it. His eyes were a mismatch of gold on the right and blue on the left. He slung the gun over his shoulder and stood up. He wore an orange top with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a black buttoned vest. There were intricate golden tattoos circling his arms just above the wrist that I could not make sense of. His jeans were a dark gray tucked into his black boots. I noted a hunting knife strapped to his left thigh. He offered a gloved hand to help me up. I took it without hesitation.

“You’re certainly not from around here,” he said. I assumed he wanted information, and I did as well. The man kept hold of my hand for a moment longer than necessary. His blue eye almost seemed to turn into sparking flames for a second. “The name’s Cipher.”

“Gleeful,” I replied.

This was another William that was nothing like the demon I knew. The man before me, perhaps in his late thirties, held himself with such confidence it bordered on arrogance. He raised a golden eyebrow at my name, apparently expecting something else. I was beginning to suspect that my world was the odd one out simply due to my last name. Cipher shrugged and motioned for me to follow him.

“Humans are not exactly safe in Gravity Falls,” the hunter spoke to fill the silence.

“I kind of noticed that,” I responded. My eyes kept glancing to the trees around us. By the way he talked there were plenty of creatures willing to rip me apart. “Why are you here, then?”

I barely noticed that we had stopped before that. The hand he held the strap of the gun with adjusted the weapon on his shoulder. Cipher rolled his shoulders a moment before turning to face me. I flinched back at the unhinged look in his eyes. I attempted to reach for my gun, but he moved faster than I thought humanly possible. He crouched in front of me and struck upwards. His opened palm connected with my chest. I grabbed his wrist to bring him down with me, but it only gave him the means to press me into the ground. He was heavier than he looked. The last thing I saw was his manic smile before he knocked me out.

Great, I escaped one monster only to find a lunatic. I slowly came too on the floor of a dimly lit room. I groaned before trying to lift my head. My eyes fell on Cipher who was a few feet away cleaning his rifle. I could see my stolen plasma gun and grappling hook resting beside him. His golden eye focused on me, and that rather deranged smile stretched over his face to reveal shining teeth. I flinched, finding myself bound. Cipher crept closer, his movements that of a predator toying with their prey.

“Gleeful, eh?” He questioned while his head tilted a little too far to the right. I wished I had stayed with the not psychotic Bill. William was definitely preferable to either of them. It made me wonder what version had existed in that first world. “I could have sworn you looked like a Pines.”

I tilted my head away as best I could when his face became too close for comfort. He lifted a gloved hand to my cheek, sliding it down to grab my chin and keep my head steady. His mismatched eyes studied me. His other hand brought his hunting knife up to my face. I struggled in his hold only for him to mock soothe me. The cold blade pressed into my cheek just under my eye. His smile was anything but comforting.

“You don’t have the fur and wings old Six Fingers gained a few years back,” Cipher pondered. I had no idea what he was talking about. Was my counterpart here some type of beast? “So, where did you come from, then?”

My next move was a truly stupid one, but it worked. I spit at his face and he recoiled as I had hoped. The sound that left him was anything but human to my ears. I managed to maneuver my hands so I could activate the watch still on my wrist. I headbutted him before he could show his displeasure at my actions. There was not much time, but I was able to roll over the weapons I had come with. I heard him snarl as the white light surrounded my vision. The plasma gun and grappling hook were secure in my hands, and I was away from that insane hunter. Well, with all the world possibilities there was bound to be a deranged version of William somewhere.

 

Solid ground met my back. I was outside, in the woods once again. I was really getting sick of the forest. I remained there for some time. My body could move again at least, but I really had no idea what to do at that point. I sighed while thinking about my next course of action. If this wasn’t my world I was going to scream. If this was another hostile plane of existence it was going to be a curse. A sword struck the ground right beside my head.

“Shit!”

I jumped up and readied the plasma gun. I paused when I saw the man before me. He had brown hair and a strong jaw. His attire suggested a military uniform of sorts; it looked like it was made of Kevlar with a trench coat covering him. It was Stanley, just as I had left him, except for the eyes. His once brown eyes glowed yellow with slit pupils. The smile on his face was far too wide to be comfortable on a human face. The sword in his hands seemed to be glowing white and vibrating almost.

“Well, well, well,” he taunted in a distorted voice. It was like Stanley’s voice had been mixed with another’s that echoed all too familiarly. His eyes narrowed in amusement. “This is a surprise, eh, Sixer?”

“Bill, this has gone too far,” another, deeper and more guttural voice said. Was, was William’s counterpart controlling this Stanley? I was equally concerned about where the other voice had come from. The man just laughed. “You have no right to use my charge!”

“Oh, don’t worry your horrendous little head,” Stanley mocked. He gripped the sword tighter, and it seemed to struggle. I noticed that Stanley’s right arm was smoking. “I’m just having a bit of fun.”

I turned tail and ran. There was no way I was dealing with another lunatic so soon. The sounds of pursuit did not immediately register as I darted through the forest with no clear destination. I sped up at the echoing of a pain filled roar. My foot caught on a root, but I forced myself on once I righted my course. I dropped the gun. The grappling hook could still be used if needed. There was no way I was turning around to retrieve the stolen weapon. I found myself in a thicker part of the woods with reaching branches. They tore at my clothes like the claws of a beast, some even scraping my cheek. I pressed on regardless.

Death was not something I planned to face anytime soon, despite what these unknown worlds threw at me. The next root to hinder my progress was more successful than the last. I tumbled and smacked into a tree upside down. I struggled to get back up. My ankle was twisted. I silently cursed whatever force seemed to want me dead. My eyes traveled up to find the possessed Stanley watching me with far too much amusement.

“That’s far enough, Cipher,” someone else growled. The voice was not as guttural as the other had been, and it showed no fear of the demon. The man that it had come from did not look like much for a fight. He was slim with a purple pinstriped suit and tie, and black slacks. His violet eyes drifted to me for only a moment before returning to the possessed human. “What have you done with Oct Panna?”

“Strange, it’s been a while,” Bill-Stanley responded cheerfully. 

He lifted his right fist, revealing an eight on the back of his hand. The symbol was fading quickly as I noticed he was holding something in that hand. His smile showed a great deal of arrogance alongside the psychosis. Bill-Lee flicked his wrist and tossed the object he was holding. It rolled to a stop before me and this Strange fellow. It was an eight-ball like in Billiards. The sphere broke open with a scream and strange white smoke drifted out of it.

“Monster,” Strange snarled in disgust. It did not faze the other in the least.

“That traitor got what he deserved,” BilLee stated flippantly. His eyes narrowed at the dark haired man. “Yours is a much longer time coming, Tadpole.”

The two clashed a moment later. It became clear immediately that Strange seemed to have the upper hand. The possessed man shared Stanley’s penchant for fighting dirty, however. I watched silently. Strange used an orange colored fire to keep the other at bay, but it did not work most of the time. He was worried about hurting Stanley, but Bill held no such quarrels with injuring his current vessel. BilLee got in a good punch to the other’s face and kneed his stomach. His arm became covered in blue fire.

The fire was hazardous to the human body it appeared. While the flames burned the skin was slowly stripped away in what must have been a painful experience. Strange appeared horrified that the demon would allow such damage. His opponent seemed more entertained by it than anything. The longer they fought the more the blue fire ate at Stanley’s flesh. His arm was slowly becoming nothing but blackened bone.

Why was I just watching this? I had the perfect opportunity to get away, to activate the watch and vanish. I exhaled slowly and took out the grappling hook. No, I had to do one thing first. I don’t know why I cared, but even if this was not my Stanley I would not let him suffer in such a way. I aimed the specialized weapon, and fired. The projectile struck BilLee in the side of the head. There was a light as he fell to the ground unconscious. I wasted no more time and frantically activated the watch. Once again I welcomed the white that surrounded me.

“Mister, are you okay?” the voice of a child alerted me that I must have passed out at some point.

I focused my eyes to take in the alley I had wound up in. The kid before me couldn’t be more than twelve years old. His blond hair hung slightly over his vibrant blue eye. There was a dusting of freckles under it. I assumed the sun kissed marks stretched to under his other eye, but it was covered by red flannel fabric. A torn strip of shirt was tied around his head to obscure the left eye, and half of his boyish face in the process. He was dressed in what looked like old hand-me-downs. The dark shirt with a question mark in the center was far too big for his skinny frame and nearly covered up the dirty shorts over his scraped legs. His worried expression was tempered with a degree of fear that could only come from being run off and picked on far too many times.

“I will be with enough time,” I responded after shifting to a more comfortable sitting position.

My ankle surprisingly had not swollen yet. It was upon realizing that that I saw the ice pack in the boy’s hands. Had he been taking care of me while I was out? Well, despite the kid’s fear of being run off he was certainly considerate. My leg had been propped up on a cardboard box that must have been discarded in the alleyway. The boy held out the wrapped ice pack to me. He stared at my hand with poorly hidden fascination. It was a better reaction than I received when I was a child, or even outside of my family.

“My name is Bill,” the blond child spoke up. He glanced at my hands a few more times. It made me a little uncomfortable even though I should probably be used to it when meeting new people by now. His blue eye focused on my face then. “Are you a wizard?”

“No, not a wizard,” I said with a small chuckle. The child’s awe was quite uplifting if I was being honest. “I am just a traveler.”

“You have extra fingers on your hands,” Bill stated. I merely nodded to see if he would share his real thoughts on the matter. In a way the kid was stroking my ego, if only a little.

The smile he gave me was one of acceptance and perhaps a bit of hope. I watched as he lowered his head to work at the flannel covering half of his face. The young Bill was hesitant to reveal his other eye, but did slowly look up at me once the fabric was removed. His previously hidden eye held a shining gold iris and cat-like pupil. I don’t know that our oddities were exactly comparable, but there was a kinship in my experience and what he must be going through at such a young age. I knew firsthand how cruel other kids could be. I offered him my most sincere smile.

Bill, I found out, was ten years old. He did not have a family to go home to, and actually slept in the very alley we met in. He spoke of a few of Gravity Falls' residents and how they helped him get by. There was a waitress at Greasy’s Diner who offered him extra food when he managed to scrounge up the money to go there. During the colder months he was able to sneak into a haunted convenience store where the ghosts of an old couple took care of him. Then he told me about the Mystery Shack owned by Stan Pines.

The employees at the establishment were apparently accepting of him. One of them had given Bill the shirt that almost served as a short dress. His account of this universe’s Stanley was that he was basically a con artist with a secret heart of gold. He also had no concept of child labor laws it seemed. Bill liked working at the Mystery Shack, but he was steering clear of it now. One of the employees had discovered that he was living on the streets, and Bill was afraid Stan would turn him away because he was a “dirty street rat.” Childish fears being what they were I doubt my words really sunk in. If anything I believe this Stanley would be more than happy to take the blond under his wing.

I spent a few days being taken care of by little Bill. He brought me food from the diner and made sure I had a means of staying cool when the sun was not so pleasant. I entertained him with tales from my childhood, changing the names so the boy would not try to involve others. Bill was enthralled by them, and expressed that he wished he had a sibling or just a close friend that would have his back as Stanley and I once did for one another. I was sure he would make friends his own age soon. He at least had people willing to look out for him even if he did not realize it at that point.

When my ankle was finally healed I was admittedly reluctant to leave the child that had taken care of me. There was nothing for it, however. I had my own world to get back to, no matter how long it took. Bill seemed to sense my impending departure, but did not protest as I would have expected. I knelt down to look him in his mismatched eyes and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I guess this is goodbye,” he said softly with a tiny sniffle. He looked at me with a hopeful expression. “Will I ever see you again?”

“I do not know,” I admitted, but if there was a world I would like to visit it was this one. And maybe the one with Dipper and Bill, though they would most likely not be pleased with how I left them. “I want you to promise me something, Bill.”

“Of course,” he eagerly responded.

“Go to the Mystery Shack when I am gone,” I suggested. He gave me a sour expression in preparation to protest, but I would not let him. “Stan will take care of you. I know he and his workers will. You cannot stay out here. Plus, who knows, you could make more friends through them if you hang around.”

“I guess,” he whispered. His head lowered in a defeatist manner. I squeezed his shoulder to encourage him. Bill closed his eyes and inhaled. His mismatched vision focused on me after the exhale. The blond seemed to gain a bit of confidence. “Okay, I promise. Just promise you won’t forget me, please?”

“I would never forget you,” I ruffle his hair as I respond.

My hand is playfully swatted away. His small hands grab onto mine for him to study my fingers one last time. Bill is reluctant to let me go, but he seems to understand that I have an important mission. I wait until he walks out of the alley, supposedly on his way back to Stanley and company. There is no one else around at least. I push up the sleeve of my sweater and activate the watch once again.

I open my eyes in another alleyway, this time during nightfall. I made sure to remain in the shadows of the buildings and avoid the few people still out. I tried to navigate my way to where my house should be, but managed to get lost in this version of the town. I paused when I noticed two other people walking on the other side of the street. They were young men, a pale brunet and a dark skinned man with electric blue hair. I debated approaching them, choosing to tail them for a bit instead.

The pair ended up ducking into another alley. I did not want to be caught following them, so I changed course. I wandered the town for a little longer eventually deciding that this was most likely not my world. It was on to the next one then, and the one after that. The cycle seemed to be never ending. It was infuriating and rather terrifying at times. I discovered that many of William’s counterparts were assholes to varying degrees if not outright psychopaths. I debated whether I should hit him or hug him when I found the blue demon again, not that it was his fault how his doubles presented themselves.

It was no wonder I lost track of how many worlds I had been to or how long each trip had lasted. A lot of them I only stayed in long enough to eat and find a way to practice proper hygiene. That is one of the things no one prepares for, or discusses, when dimensional travel is involved. I changed into a black turtleneck and brown pants. I grabbed a dark trench coat while I was at it. The grappling hook had proven to be very useful on many occasions whether I was dealing with Bills or less intelligent monsters. It had certainly helped when escaping a freakish boar. I still shiver at the thought of that grotesque creature with its strange tentacle fur.

My first impression of world… ninety-two thousand? was that it looked much like the first one I had found myself in. I did not feel good about that, and rightfully so. Unlike the first one that had been mostly deserted there were creatures roaming the streets, hideous ones. One of them looked like an over-sized gremlin with eight-balls for eyes. I did my best to remain unseen by it and the flying eyeball bats that invaded the town. I almost made it past the creature when I noticed a pink, flaming, demon woman with one eye on the left side of her face. She spotted me in the same moment. I bolted, alerting everything around.

These creatures were much larger than me. While it made outrunning them practically impossible, it did allow me to duck into places they could not follow. They were persistent, however. Anytime I found cover the gremlin beast showed his superior strength by lifting whatever debris away to grab at me. I managed to use my grappling hook to keep him at bay and flee once more. Luck was somehow back on my side.

I don’t know how long I wandered outside of the town. I found myself in a wasteland area on the outskirts. There was a large pink bubble anchored to the ground by a thick chain. It floated a good distance in the sky, situated between two plateaus. It appeared to pulsate with some contained power. I crept closer to it to investigate.

The sky darkened a second later. I managed to take cover behind a boulder. A blinding flash of light forced me to cover my eyes for a moment. When I managed to look back a familiar triangle shape floated before the sphere. This interpretation of William or Bill was huge. He was also a deep red for some reason. The demon looked angry about something. Was he watching something within the bubble? I ducked down, not wanting to be seen. His hands reached out to the object, slowly passing through it. There was another flash of light and he vanished, presumably inside the bubble.

I sat there watching for any signs of what hid within the sphere. None presented themselves. I really did not want to wait to be found. Those other demons could still be searching for me, or more could come around. I turned away from the bubble to prop my back against the boulder. The dimensional travel watch stared up at me. I was getting really tired of hopping around. I had been tired of it for a while now. Would one more trip do it, or would I forever be fated to jump from world to world with no sign of the original? There was really only one way to find out.

When the ground changed to the grass of the woods I simply let myself collapse face first. I planned to just remain there forever in that moment. I knew I couldn’t, but I was so tired of seeking out my own world just to end up with some demented demon wanting my blood. That was not always the case, but it had happened far more often than meeting a nice version of that triangle. I admit that I missed the real William.

The sound of someone walking in my direction alerted me. I groaned at the thought of dealing with anyone. My hands braced me as I forced myself to my feet. The figure before me was human, but I did not take in much more detail than how he appeared. I reached for the grappling hook, and heard him gasp in shock and fear. That was enough to draw my attention.

The blue eyes that met mine held slit pupils. The man’s hair was a robin egg blue like his eyes, and both matched the sweater he wore. There was black bow tie just below the collar that made me think of William. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable. I relaxed my stance. I did not allow my relief to show, but God was it good to see the timid demon again. I was quite thrown by the pale human appearance.

“...Stanford,” he breathed. It revealed his fear at seeing me again. I had almost forgotten the circumstances surrounding our absence from one another. Of course he would be nowhere near happy to see me again. I had to wonder how much time had passed.

“William,” two shouts rang out from somewhere behind me. I chanced a look. The one had sounded like Stanley, but the other was… me?

Surely enough two men came into the small clearing. They were somewhere in their sixties if not older, at least it gave me an idea what I had to look forward to eventually. They looked a lot like our father. Stanley had on a suit that had me recalling that first world once again. I felt like I was going to be sick, but kept it down and kept from revealing such things. We all just stared at each other. I took in Stanley’s maroon fez and matching string bow tie. My counterpart had a burgundy turtleneck on under an old tan coat.

My hand went for my grappling hook once more, this time not backing down. The other Stanford already had a pair of gloves on that I recognized. They were magic disruptors I had been working on before Stanley fucked everything up. I was not about to let my counterpart shock me with those. He just barely dodged the grappling hook. I felt something hit me from behind and stumbled forward. Stanley had managed to get behind me and used a bat. The old fool was attacking me with a gods-damn baseball bat. I punched him.

The man had not lost his left hook in his old age. I stumbled back after the blow. My double was behind me, but I rolled out of the way of his electrified palm. Stanley tightened his grip on the bat and charged at me with a war cry. I shot him with the grappling hook. The bat flew from his hands while he hit the ground on his back. Perhaps the old man would stay down, but I doubt any version of my brother is that smart. I turned to my double.

My feet were knocked from under me by the alternate Stanley. I had not expected him to sweep my legs. He was quicker than I had expected as well. I was trapped in a headlock despite my attempts to avoid it. My counterpart stepped closer while his twin held me in place. I struggled by kicking my feet out, but this other Stanford was not deterred so easily. I felt the electricity race through me for a second before darkness took me. William had done nothing, not that I expected him to. If anything he probably would have sided with them rather than me. Could I really blame him?

 

I open my eyes in the kitchen of my house. Well, the alternate version of it. I bet my double keeps everything in the same place. I was tied down to the chair at the table. My legs were bound as well. They surprisingly were not complete idiots, and they even took my world traveling watch. Bastards! My eyes landed on the fidgeting form of William. Stanley was the first to notice that I was awake and motioned to the others. William refused to look at me, not that he truly ever could keep eye contact.

“You’ve got three seconds to convince us not to throw you to Lucifer here,” Stanley threatened and indicated William. The demon-made-human flinched.

“Stanley,” my counterpart scolded him. “We are not using Will like that. He has suffered enough at their hands.”

“Fine, fine, sorry,” the fez wearing twin relented, but he kept glaring at me. It had been some time since I was acquainted with that look. He moved away from the table. “I’m going to make a call while you figure out what to do, poindexter.”

“What phone call do you have to make at a time like this?” The other Stanford shouted at his brother.

“I’m calling the kids,” Stanley informed. “I know how this is going to go down. Killing him is wrong, yada yada. We have nothing to stick on him for the authorities to take care of things, and we certainly cannot allow him to roam free in our dimension. I’m going to make sure the kids don’t become part of this mess, or at least postpone their involvement.”

“Ah, right, good call, Stanley,” my double nodded and left the other old man to make the calls. The kids they were referring to must be Dipper and Mabel. I had managed to meet the girl on my travels without her dying in my arms. That version had been rather energetic. “Now, while he’s doing that perhaps we can exchange some information. I think to avoid too much confusion I’ll be Ford, my brother can be Lee, and we’ll call you Stan. Does that sound good to you?”

“Where’s my family?” I decided to start with that question.

I noted how William seemed to get more nervous simply from my words. It was something I expected, but the way he kept glancing at “Ford” and where Lee wandered off to had me wondering. Ford did not seem too keen on broaching that subject either. It did not take a genius to figure out what was going on. Stanley had once again done something stupid, and this time not only ruined himself but our great-niece and -nephew as well. I looked down at the table as I took this in.

Where was William during all this? He certainly had not been off helping me. I knew the link forcing him to my will had been severed, not that it was that sturdy of one to begin with. Still, I knew how much he hated death and killing no matter who was the “victim.” Ford did not offer an answer, and I really did not feel there was anything else that needed discussed. Not with a human at least. I would get answers out of William when he did not have these two to hide behind. There was the question of what they had done with my watch and grappling hook, but I did not feel like bringing it up right then.

Lee returned after a few minutes I did not care to count. He still held that stern expression he inherited from their father no doubt. Judging by the tiredness I could glean in his eyes one or both of the kids had asked more questions than he was willing to share. He took off his glasses long enough to rub the bridge of his nose. He sighed and put them back on.

“So where are we with this,” Stanley asked with the same exasperation.

“Well, I found a way to limit the confusion,” Ford replied hesitantly. He was clearly still uncomfortable about revealing my family’s fate. Stanley raised an eyebrow at that. I anticipated him being against the decision for some asinine reason. “He’s Stan, I’m Ford, and you’re Lee.”

“Oh Hell no,” Lee shouted and pounded his fist on the table. William was not the only one to flinch back at his clear anger. “You are Ford, fine, I'll be Lee, and this cretin can be Fuckshit!”

“Stanley, please, Will is right there,” Ford exclaimed in a scandalized tone.

“What’s your point?” Lee asked, seriously appearing confused. The two blinked at each other as though either of their arguments should be obvious. William was growing more anxious by the way he was slowly creeping out of the room. Stanley’s next words halted his escape. “The guy beat me in an insult contest! Have you heard some of the stuff out of his mouth? I mean he hasn’t said anything remotely close lately, which I blame you for. He’s a demon, not a saint for Christ’s sake.”

Ford turned to William for clarification. The horrified look in his blue eyes should be enough, apparently it was. The two old men started arguing over whether Lee was corrupting the demon or if Ford was softening him more. I rolled my eyes. Had Stanley and I been destined to turn into that if things had gone differently? Admittedly it would not be all that surprising, unfortunately. I cleared my throat in hopes of getting their attention. It worked, but it put me a bit too much on the spot while I was still strapped to the cursed chair.

“I’ll just be Gleeful,” I suggested. I glanced between the two of them. “Will that suffice?”

“Gleeful?” Lee sneered at the very sound of the name. I raised an eyebrow at his reaction. “You’re a Gleeful? Fuck me, no wonder you’re lunatics!”

“Lee,” Ford scolded him once again. “The Gleeful family is not a bunch of lunatics. I for one think Gideon is a polite young man and a good friend for Mabel now that they’ve worked out everything out.”

“Do you have any idea what that brat has done?” Lee questioned while looking at his brother pointedly. I was beginning to see that grudge holding my own brother was so good at. “The maniac tried to steal the Shack on multiple occasions! You weren’t there for most of his crazy infatuation with Mabel! I thought the girl’s boy crazy phase was overblown, but that shrimp puff took it to a whole new level! And do you forget what that kid unleashed?”

Stanley was breathing hard after his rant just to make up for the missed oxygen. Ford actually cringed at the last part. Oh, Hell no! This was another one of those worlds, wasn’t it? Lee eventually calmed down from his outburst, and Ford seemed to relax as well. They both looked at the doorway curiously. I followed their line of sight to see William still trying to leave the room. He flinched when Ford began to approach him.

“Sorry about that,” Lee apologized to the blue haired demon.

“Will, it is okay,” Ford soothed in a way that had me watching them more carefully. He must be the one to comfort the demon most. “No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to. You have been through enough, and we aren’t like them. You know you can trust me.”

William took the hand Ford extended as a means of anchoring him. He did not waste time pulling the demon in for a hug. What surprised me was that it actually worked. Will was certainly used to the man by how he relaxed in his hold. The smile on his face was something I really did not expect. Ford was allowed to hold him like that, and it was Lee grunting that made them pull apart. Will’s face was tinted blue around his cheeks. It was an interesting development.

“So, my earlier question,” I began in order to change the subject. “Are you going to answer, or do I have to guess where my family is?”

“They’re dead,” William spoke up for the first time. He distanced himself from everyone else. His behavior was uncharacteristically brave. What had happened to the demon to make him ever so slightly sure of himself? He managed to keep eye contact with me. His voice did waver despite his attempt at confidence. “You are very lucky not to have arrived here sooner.”

“Will, what are you talking about?” Ford hesitated to ask.

“I’m sorry,” the demon blurted out. He huddled into a corner with tears in his eyes. The other two were distracted enough by him that I started working at the ropes around my wrists. “I couldn’t stop him. He, he just slaughtered them, and then he stayed. I couldn’t stop him. He wouldn’t leave.”

“How long?” Lee asked. He seemed to be catching on quicker than his twin. Ford was most likely in denial of the truth. Even I could tell what was going on, and I had no plans to stick around for another psychotic triangle to show up. “How long was that lunatic under our roof?”

“Yesterday,” William weakly replied. He was shivering with fear and regret plain on his face. I did my best to hide that I was struggling out of my restraints. “He left yesterday, I think. I don’t know to where, or if he’ll come back.”

“Then all that time,” Ford trailed off with a defeated air. This was clearly tearing him up inside. Just a little more and I could work at my legs, hopefully before they got wise to my escape attempt. Ford turned furious and slammed his fist against the wall. “Bill played us, again!”

I zoned out on most of their conversation from there. William said something about a ‘phase two’ or three plan. They were distracted enough for me to get the ropes around my feet. I did not see anything to use as a weapon within my vicinity. The rope in my hands would have to do for now. Lee was the closest, so I targeted him first. There was a gasp, probably from William. I tightened the rope around the old man’s neck. He had managed to get his hands between his vulnerable throat and the twine. I found myself up against the wall, but it did not deter me. Curses fell from the man’s mouth. He struggled more to the point that I had to jump onto his back. He was resilient for an old man. I felt something strike my head, knocking me out once more.

The scenery had not changed when I came to once more. This time I was restrained by blue, glowing chains. I looked up to meet William’s eyes. There was uncertainty there, but he appeared to be determined. The other two were a short distance away. Lee watched us from the doorway while Ford composed himself against the counter. William took a breath before focusing on me.

“You will not do that again,” the determination in his voice was new. He was struggling to keep it, but I was impressed nonetheless. “The Pines are my family n-now, and I-I w-won’t le-let you hur-hurt them.”

I wanted to taunt him just to see how far this new found bravery would go. My mouth was covered with duct tape. Judging by the amusement from Lee he was the one to slap it on me. I scowled at him, but there was not much more I could do. With William restraining me I would not break out again. Without the ability to speak I was not likely to talk him into anything either. I cursed all of them. I cursed everyone and everything that came to mind. They went back to their earlier issue of William’s counterpart.

“If he is not stuck here then the kids are in danger,” Ford said. He rubbed between his eyes as he leaned on the counter top. William was watching him, but kept a large distance between them. The demon flinched when my double looked at him. “How long has he been able to get out?”

“S-since last summer, m-maybe,” William stuttered out. He fidgeted and broke eye contact with the other. “The night after they left he took me to the barrier. Bill had his own body then.”

“Of course he did,” Lee grumbled. He stormed out of the room. “I’m calling the kids again. They need to be warned about that abomination. Blue-boy, keep an eye on the lunatic.”

William glanced to me, but then hesitantly returned his focus to my counterpart. Ford was still struggling with the fact that the William he had bonded with was not the one he thought he was. The demon clearly wanted to say something to reassure him, but didn’t know what to say. There really was not much to say in such a situation. Nothing could make it any better after all. I struggled in my seat even though it was useless. William actually looked at me, attempting a glare that held no real power behind it. He had changed a lot in my absence. This Bill must have had some influence on him.

It took a while before Lee returned. He must have talked with one of the twins longer than he had planned. I knew nothing about the young pair aside from their probable appearance. When the man did come back the phone was at his ear. His face was drained of blood. He walked over to William without a word, his expression of fear only worsening. The phone was pressed into the demon’s chest and Lee continued to walk to the table. He fell into his seat with a mix of exhaustion and terror. His elbows rested on the table while his hands supported his head. He was a wreck.

I watched William study Lee’s reaction before bringing the phone to his ear. He hesitated and breathed what should have been a calming breath. As soon as the “hello” passed his lips he seemed to regret it. He struggled to keep hold of the receiver, fumbling with it a few times. Both hands clutched it to his ear with growing trepidation.

"B-Bill?"

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the snippets above are from AU ideas I've had that I may or may not delve into.
> 
> Next up is Bill ;D


End file.
